New Title Picture

 

Above is the title picture from the last couple of years. I like the new change, and it is only slightly different but very soft and fresh in color.

This is what it looks like now:

The description is a little different, too.

Here are some more Catherine Klein paintings. 

(I'm not entirely sure about this one, but it was in a Catherine Klein collection on a page. It doesn't have her signature like the others but seems to be her style.)

She painted other types of flowers, as well as fresh fruit, baskets, and more.

Dover printable clip art has these appealing roses in a florist box. Do florists still do this? I like those long boxes, and have seen them  before.

I hope you are all feeling rested, and enjoying life today.

Thank you for your lovely comments.

Lydia

Luxury Living

Please enjoy your time at home today while you listen to homemakers radio. I hope you achieve a lot.

This a a book I showed:

You can use Victoria, Tea Time and other Hoffman Media publications as your homemaking "tools."

Think about the 6 things you think are most important for your peace and contentment in life. Here is a suggestion:

Character Development 

Homemaking

Hospitality

Tea Time

Letter Writing

Feminine Dress

Art, Literature, Music

Character scriptures I mentioned
Phlippians 4:8

Galations 5:22

2 Peter 1:5-8

Luxury living doesn't mean you need a lifestyle of the rich an famous. Several luxury items I pointed out today in the video were:

The luxury of time: When things are orderly, less time is spent rushing around, catching up, etc. and more time for rest.

The luxury of Comfort:  It doesn't take a high end holiday to have comfort every day in your life: clean bedding and bath towels, shiny floors and clean porches, etc. I've known people who lived in places that looked like ruins, but their domains were luxurious in all these small ways.

Luxury Cuisine:  If you grown your own or shop the fresh market and prepare it yourself, it tastes like luxury. There are so many free cooking classes and shows online, or for a small donation, that there is no reason not to know something about preparing fresh meals.

The Luxury of activities and pasttimes. I promised to leave a link to this girl's art journal lessons, someone I personally am acquainted with.

The luxury of hand crafted items that serve you well at home, and items you have made yourself. Before things were taken up by factories, we made our own potholders, dishtowels,  paintings, candles soap, and more.  I'm not suggesting hours of hard labor, but just trying one thing one time, for the experience.

The luxury of personal care:  We are so accustomed to out-sourcing everything from education to hair care, that it can be a real luxury to learn how to DIY.

The luxury of rest:  Rest is a great healer and restorer, and there are plenty of people teaching the merits of this, one being Dr. Berg

We Do Many Things in the Home

Please enjoy your home during this Homemaking Radio broadcast. Possibly you can get one or two jobs finished during the video.

Things I talked about on the broadcast:

Someone picked parsley, sage, thyme and mint from their garden and brought it to me. I think this is such a good thing for a gift. Roses also are great from the garden, and have a beautiful scent. You can keep the fallen petals and put them in a dish for more scent.  I once received a package from someone which, rather than being packed with styrofoam pieces or plastic padding, was poured over into the spaces with dried rose buds!!!

My little ones enjoyed using old fashioned construction paper and chalk as an old fashioned chalk board project.  A tissue was used as an eraser. 

Newsletter from Amy, On the Journey

Books used in home education that are "Christ centered":

Learn about sentence structure, spelling and writing, with sentences containing good values and lofty, character-building thoughts.

I also mentioned the play, "When Queens Ride By" and found a place where you could print your own copy: HERE

What I wore:

All cotton dress. Cost of materials

aproximately $25

Close up of the print--birds and feathers. Material was

also available in aqua, yellow and peach.

Thank you for listening today. Hopefully I will "see" you here more often as I try to post in a timely manner!

Voice Version

Hello Everyone,

The video part was no good but my staff managed to rescue the voice part for you. This is even better because there isn't anything to watch and you can just listen while you enjoy getting your work done.

 

Slideshow 1

While going through old pictures and cleaning out some of my files, I gathered some  photographs from a couple of years ago, of my home,  and thought you would enjoy this slideshow. I hope to have another one showing the updated look around house and garden. 

This is put together to resemble the time when I had the "Inn at Calm Village." View it on your enlarged version for enhanced reality.

Slideshow by one of my technicians, Mrs. Humphrey of The Pleasant Times

Overcoming and Thriving in the Home

Hello Everyone,

I'm honored you came to listen while you enjoy your beautiful homes. Today I talk a lot about character and a little about Exodus.

\\

Here are the publications I suggested adapting into  personal "thrive" courses:

Below: there is a boys version available also:

note below; there is a manners book by the same author for boys/young men, called Man in Demand. 

Cottage Core

Hello Everyone, 

This week I have been noticing something called "Cottage Core."  One of my visitors said, "Oh, I see you have a cottage core decor style."  I looked it up and found this book, above,

and this video.

I was delighted to see it is  simply the use of hand made and handed down things we used back "in the olden days."  It is very comforting in these strange political times, when the world doesn't know which way is up.  Well, we do, at home, don't we.

Today I am sharing some photos of the sewing room, in which I have managed to put two beds--a daybed and a toddler bed. I kept the children's beds because I like them.

I am planning on speaking to you very soon.

Lydia

Bloom Where You Are Planted

Hello Ladies,

Please enjoy your household routine while you listen to the broadcast today:

I showed a panorama of a few changes around here.

The bulletin piece I read:

1. Plan your day, or your week, so that you have a workable plan.

2. Learn to do one thing at a time. A tense person tends to scatter his activities and when he is doing one thin, he is worrying about doing something else.

3. Do not take yourself too seriously. Keep a good sense of humor. God gave mankind the power to weep and to laugh. 

4. Learn the art of relaxation. Each person has to find his own way to relax.

5. Learn to live as though in the presence of God. God challenges us to live our best, then leave the rest in His hands. The strings of the harp might be drawn tight, so that there may be melody and beautiful harmony.  If we are to make a life of music as our Lord intends it, our lives must be drawn to a certain tension. We must let God to the tuning of us, for it is His fingerers that must pluck the melody from the strings. - R. H.

I spoke of keeping conversation on a higher level, and referred to the words of this hymn:

The scripture I read:

5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue,[a] and virtue with knowledge,

 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 

7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.

 8 For if these qualities[b] are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

9 For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. 

10 Therefore, brothers,[c] be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.

 Peter 1:5-10

This old style shed is here on the same property as The Manse, and I am thinking of painting a picture of it.  It looks very rough but as storage goes, everything is very dry inside, and there is no mold or mildew or any scent of decay inside, even though it has no insulation. I thought of it when I was perusing wall art at the Hobby Lobby site and spotted several old shed and old barn pictures.

Before the Cleanup

pastures we passed

Hello everyone, 

Our luxury train trip was extended from two days to five. There were 9 passengers which I accommodated in 4 luxury cabins and three sleeper cars.

During one of our scheduled stops, some of the passengers took an off-train excursion to visit friends in the vicinity.

While they were out, the other passengers and I “righted” the accommodations after a very active schedule on board.

Before the cleanup that evening, I caught a few snapshots of the original messes for your viewing.

The lounge car:

We stopped near an obliging field so one of the passengers could farm.  I don't think he was ever really off that tractor. He even ate some of his meals while sitting there. 

Below: not on the itinerary of arts and crafts on the antique train trip, but a smart young man created the most marvelous paper planes which I am still finding at the top of curtains and ledges. Was he trying to tell me something?

There was the most marvelous bird-watcher guest who stayed in this cabin while conducting his online business,  and he got up early to stand on the observation deck while the train was sitting still, to photograph colorful wildlife and florals.

This appears to be a brush rabbit. I am told it is rare to see one

in this area, but there is one that sits near the door in the morning.

We also get the "Mad March Hares" once in awhile, but

they haven't come around this year.   Rabbits are not normally

part of the wildlife here. 

We don’t call these “craft materials.” These are construction supplies. Great things were created from this box.

Favorite activities of the younger set.

It is always nice to arrive before the cleanup begins, and see the evidence of a meal taken on real dinnerware:

English Hobnobish  Oat Cookie Biscuits

Publications perused by some of the lovely ladies aboard the train.

The most beautiful tea party was put on for me in the dining car by some of the guests but I didn't get pictures!!! I was busy sampling everything. 

As part of the "working holiday" fee substitute for the fare, the passengers repaired and fixed a number of things to help this old place serve us all better. I got a new doorknob, a new showerhead, a microphone for my broadcasts, and a donated printer all connected to my computer so that I don't have to send out printing to someone else. One of the energetic guests cleaned up the garden from the winter debris and got it ready for planting. They want to be sure there is food when they return for the next luxury vacation. 

Tickets were collected by the steward from my paper stash of scrapbook days:

 One of the passengers made my steward hat. Very creative how he used office supplies of pens and brads, with gemstone stickers.

This luxury trip got us all to thinking of the many other things a house could be used for to lighten the hearts of loved ones in these weird times.

 I am already thinking miles ahead of future vacations.

I hope to be talking to you again very soon.

A big thank you to those who regularly contribute. The food expenses for this "luxury train trip" were neatly covered by your sacrificial donations last month! The passengers thank you. The cook thanks you.